We take the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 back to prehistoric times. Is this the next wave of digital imaging, or a fossil of the future? Check out our Real 3D W3 review here.
Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 Overview
Blame it on James Cameron. All it took was one confounded movie chock full of blue things with wings to drudge up a failed attempt at the future of cinema. Our parents wore 3D glasses in the 70's, and today we're wearing Active Matrix shutter glasses. The Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 is a glowing ember in the incendiary spectacle that has become the digital age's latest hard-on. Improving on the W1 announced late last year, the Real 3D W3 adds 720p 3D HD video and an HDMI port to the arsenal. We spent an evening at the Museum of Natural History with the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3, and question marks proceeded to dive bomb our conscience. What do I do with 3D files? How accurate is this thing? Is this the future? We're going to answer these questions, but first take a look at our exclusive hands-on video of the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3.
Technology Behind the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3
In order to achieve 3D, the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3d W3 employs two 10-megapixel CCD 3x optical zoom lenses. When you capture an image, the Real 3D W3 records a 2D JPEG and 3D .MPO file. In video mode, the Real 3D W3 captures an .AVI file that is played back in 3D when connected to a 3D-compatible TV or viewed on the autostereoscopic LCD.
AutosteroWHO? Yes, get used to this term. Autostereoscopic refers to an LCD screen that allows you to view 3D content without the use of 3D glasses. At some angles, content can be headache-inducing, so be careful. Otherwise, you'll need 3D glasses to view your 3D content on your 3D-compatible television. You can also order 3D prints, but they're a bit pricey and take a while to ship. Diane Rainey of Fujifilm told us that YouTube is working on 3D codec support, but we're not seeing that take effect for quite some time.
So, exactly what do you do with your 3D files? Your primary option right now is to view them on a 3D-compatible television, which is expensive. As a result, the Finepix Real 3D W3 automatically suits a niche market consisting of people with lots of money who don't mind going all in Vegas style on new technology.
How do I use this thing?
Fujifilm assured us that the Finepix Real 3d W3 was easy as pie to use, but it took us roughly an hour to really master the camera's spaceship controls. First off, there are the standard Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Manual, and Scene modes. But then there's an Advanced 2D and Advanced 3D pair of shooting modes that required patience and understanding to master. In Advanced 3D, the Finepix Real 3D is allowing you to take two images, one with each lens. Then, it's up to you to adjust the Parallax control in Playback.
Parallax control? Captain's log: Stardate 2010. Initializing Parallax Control. Beam Me up, Scottie. The Parallax control allows you to adjust the distance between both images or videos. For example, if the images are farther apart, it will appear as though they are holograms and ghosting will be present. Using the Parallax control enables you to synch the images or videos together, fusing them into one. Even when shooting in Auto Parallax control, it was almost a requirement to check each image and video and adjust the Parallax manually.
This will most likely be common in low light environments, and here's why. We shot indoors, which forced the Finepix Real 3D to open that aperture nice and wide. As a result, our depth of field greatly diminished, and our focal plain was vastly limited. In 3D, you want as narrow an aperture as you can achieve, since the greatest effects are achieved by the dynamic arrangement of subjects in the foreground and background. In bright light, you can close the aperture down without a hitch, but low light shooting will require a narrower aperture. We're surprised Fujifim didn't have us running around Times Square filming Lithuanian tourists in the nuclear sun.
What about 2D images and videos?
Every 3D image we captured recorded a JPEG version as well. There were some nifty effects available in advanced 2D mode, including the ability to capture a telephoto and wide-angle shot in one take, and different two color temperatures in one snap. Below is a compilation of 2D images and videos taken with the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3. Unfortunately, there's really no way to show you what these files look like in 3D, but this will at least provide a sense of the camera's image quality. We'd place it on par with the rest of the Finepix lineup, including the Fujifilm Finepix F80EXR.
500 smackers will grant you the ability to capture 3D video and images that are currently only compatible with a 3D television via 3D glasses. This is quite a mound of Lincolns, and we're not seeing the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D in the hands of anyone except technophiles and those with money to burn on the latest technology. The Real 3D W3 does not give you training wheels right out of the box. It took us roughly an hour to really grasp its Starship Enterprise control center, but once we did, our images and videos improved.
Yes, the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 is fun. But we know 3D has a long and winding journey ahead of it in order to reach the masses to its fullest potential. We're not seeing the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 as a must-buy, and we know other manufacturers will continue to improve on this technology, as long as there is market interest. And as long as James Cameron is blowing more 3D crap out of his creativity-challenged bilge pump, cameras like the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 are merely harbingers of what is to come.
Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 Photo Gallery
Price and Release Date
The Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 will be available in early September 2010 for $500.
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